Israeli strike on Gaza hospital kills six, including doctor, health ministry says

An Israeli airstrike on a Palestinian hospital has killed at least six and wounded 28, Gaza's Health Ministry said.

The Israeli military later said it targeted a senior Hamas militant and other members of the group's armed wing, who it said were operating inside Nasser Hospital - one of the main hospitals still operating in the strip.

The strike on Khan Younis hit the hospital's surgical wing - killing a surgeon and a 13-year-old boy, health officials said.

Footage showed several wards and operating rooms heavily damaged or destroyed, with rubble and furniture strewn across rooms, plus wires dangling from damaged ceilings.

Israel's military also accused Hamas of using the hospital complex as a command centre for military operations, including storing weapons, operating command-and-control rooms and using hospital facilities as observation posts and shelters for fighters.

A surgeon, identified as Dr Rezik Abushira, and at least two patients including a 13-year-old boy, were among those killed in the strike on Thursday, the Hamas-run health ministry added.

Mahmoud Basal, the spokesperson for Gaza's civil defence, said the Israeli airstrike hit the surgery department ‌of the hospital, causing extensive damage.

Injured patients were seen being carried on stretchers through debris-covered corridors while others helped the wounded walk through the wreckage.

Several bodies were also seen being carried away as firefighters worked outside.

A Hamas spokesperson branded the strike as a "fully-fledged war crime".

But Israel, which has recently stepped up attacks on the enclave, says Hamas is trying to regroup and rebuild its arsenal.

Hamas says it is committed to a year-old ceasefire and accuses Israel of trying to undermine the agreement.

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Israeli forces previously attacked Nasser Hospital in 2025, when 22 were killed in a strike on a gathering point for reporters, five of whom were killed.

At least 1,600 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza since the deal was agreed, according to the territory's health officials, while Israel says four soldiers have been killed.

Gaza health authorities say more than 74,000 people have been killed since Israel began its Gaza assault in October 2023.

Israel launched the offensive after Hamas gunmen led an attack on southern Israel, which it said killed around 1,200.

(c) Sky News 2026: Israeli strike on Gaza hospital kills six, including doctor, health ministry says